What if, instead of a chocolate bunny, you stuffed your Easter baskets with beef jerky, this year?

Okay, maybe don’t skip the bunnies for the kids, but I’m thinking there would be some very appreciative adults 😉

Making your own beef jerky sounds difficult…or at least I thought it did…but really, it’s so so easy. To make the best beef jerky, you’re going to need a dehydrator. Sounds like some fancy, expensive gadget, but I got mine for around $65 and it will pay for itself pretty quick—especially if you have an addiction to kale chips like I do…those things are so freakin’ expensive at the store, buuuut you can use your new dehydrator to make my Spicy-Cheezy Kale Chips at home for way cheaper!

Anyways, this is some of the best beef jerky I’ve ever tried. It’s pretty tender, so you won’t kill your jaw chewing like with a lot of jerkies out there. It’s almost…juicy? Is that weird? It’s slightly spicy from the jalapeño and sriracha, but certainly not overly so, with a totally delicious sweet teriyaki flavor.

You definitely don’t have to make this for gifts (in fact, after you try it, you may not want to give any away!), but if you do, it looks really cute packaged in mason jars. For the labels, I just bought some kraft paper-colored labels from Paper Source and used their Word templates to mock something up.

This jerky should last quite a while after it’s made, especially if you seal it. I didn’t, and was still eating mine 2 months after I made it. If you keep it in the fridge it might stay a bit more tender (though the fat will solidify to a whitish color) but you certainly don’t have to.

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4 Responses to “Spicy-Teriyaki Beef Jerky”

This looks awesome! I'm thinking that I might need a dehydrator just for this purpose (my husband goes through pounds of beef jerky haha). Any recs? Does it need to be expensive or will a cheapo one be good, too?

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Hi, I’m Rachael, but you can call me “Rach,” or the nickname that titled this blog, “Spache the Spatula.” Food is my passion and baking is my de-stressor. I have a weird obsession with sharks, I unashamedly jam out to country music, and I’m a real stickler for the Oxford comma! (more about me)